USING THE IEA TIMSS TESTS TO COMPARE PUPILS’ SCIENCE EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENTS AT REGIONAL AND SCHOOL LEVELS

The task of research was to find out if the TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study) tests could be used to compare the average achievements of schools at regional level. All eight-formers of the Valmiera (Latvia) region participated in the investigation. The study showed than on average, the achievements of the schoolchildren of the Valmiera region are more considerable than those at national level in general. Moreover, the representatives of the city site rather than the participants of the rural area were more successful in the Valmiera region as well as throughout the country. However, analysis indicates that some schools of the rural area have achieved impressive results while knowledge of a number of the learners of the city remains rather poor. The data is important to education leaders of the region because school situation and the results of this research can help to carry out the assessment of every school. The obtained information regarding pupils' performance in each of the subject content groups is essential for schools. In general, we may consider that a parallel TIMSS study undertaken in one of the regions of Latvia has been very successful and education leaders, school principals and teachers of the area received valuable information.